Lost Gift
by PK385
Summary: (Spoilers for Blue Lions Route) After a long day, Edelgard was getting ready for bed, when a surprise visitor appears before her, with something she never thought would be found once more.


To say it was a long day for Edelgard would be an understatement, considering donning that lugging red armor was beyond troublesome. Eyes drifting to her bed, she slowly sat back down and deeply frowned, reflecting on her 'allies' recent actions.

Turning innocent people into mindless killing machines, that wasn't the only thing that unnerved her, however. The Death Knight reported to her specifically about how _one _of the students fought and it sent shivers down her spine.

_Uncle… Why did you torment him so? _She covered her face, trying to keep calm. While not particularly fond of his family, she fondly remembers the joyous memories with her stepbrother. _The calm before the violent storm… _Edelgard thought bitterly, clenching her fist and slamming it on her soft mattress. _If he learns I'm donning the Flame Emperor alas… _This tensed up her entire body, though she quickly grits her teeth as the sensation came and went. _No, I won't let my heart hinder my ambitions. _

Like putting on that metal helmet, Edelgard steeled herself and put on her mask once more, letting herself 'become' a normal student once more. Laying in bed, her mind drifted to the conversation with Professor Byleth, the Blue Lions Instructor. Clicking her tongue, she bit down on the annoyance of the promising professor not siding with Edelgard's House. _Manuela isn't a bad teacher, though I would enjoy hearing less about her failed love life if I was being honest. _

Knocking on her door quickly got the future Empress out of bed, narrowing her eyes somewhat. _Hubert coming at this hour? _She appreciated her closest allies' help greatly, but sometimes even he was too much. Slowly opening the door, she blinked her purple eyes in surprise in the form of Dimitri. "...Edelgard."

"Can… I help you at this hour?" She replied to the prince, unsure what he wanted. _Us house leaders don't converse often, so this is odd. _She pondered, folding her arms and having a stoic look on her face. "If otherwise, I prefer to get my sleep."

"Let me come in," Dimitri replied, with Edelgard keeping her gaze locked in his blue eyes, seeing how hazy they looked instead of their usual warmth. Stepping to the side, she let the Prince in, who simply looked at the open window with a dead expression on his face.

Edelgard sat down on her bed, awaiting Dimitri to speak, but the prince just stood like a statue, eyes locked on some unseen force. Seeing the prince's eyes flicker between the window and something next to him, she couldn't fathom what was rattling through her stepbrother's head. After a full minute of waiting, she got up and coughed to get his attention. He didn't turn to her, but she simply wanted him out of her room.

"The… I wanted to ask you a question," Dimitri's voice was soft, almost on the verge of breaking. Edelgard for a split second saw the young boy she once was close friends with, making her heart ace at a long-suppressed emotion. He slowly took something out of his pocket, holding it up against the pale moonlight coming from the nearby window. Edelgard's breath hitched, seeing the dagger. The very one he gave her all those years ago. Something she foolishly lost trying to ward off an onlooker from… _Oh no… _Her eyes dilated, her right-hand itching for her iron ax. "This is yours… Is it not?"

"Yes, how could I lose such a treasured possession? Thank you for finding it, feeling inspired by the Professor are you?" She tried to joke, recalling seeing Byleth running around the monastery on her one day off, seemingly having so many lost items in her pocket. But Dimitri didn't laugh or change his expression; it remained lifeless and somewhat somber.

He put the dagger on her desk, sitting in its seat and covering his face. "I… I found it after the Flame Emperor spotted me." He started, trying his best to remain calm through shaky breaths, but Edelgard seeing the clenching fist resting on her desk said otherwise. "I don't want… To jump to foolish conclusions based on weak evidence…" He exposed his face, glassy blue eyes alight with fire. One that even the Dark Knight didn't dare ignite during his encounters with the prince. "Is my stepsister, the one that killed my family and everyone I loved?"

Edelgard locked her purple eyes with Dimitri's blue ones, both unwilling to give one another an answer. She simply _couldn't _divulge the entirety of her plan, not when so much of it was far from finalized. _Then again, I never expected him, nor the Professor, to find out about my borrowed alas so easily. _Narrowing her eyes, the gears in her plotting mind turned and turned. _I still can control the situation, he doesn't know everything. _

"No, you misunderstand the situation." Edelgard started, speaking calmly and clearly. "I deeply cared about mother and the rest of your family, they treated me as one of their own." She clasped her hands together, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. "It was before my life took a turn, one I think you never saw coming."

"When Uncle took you away," Dimitri added, with Edelgard nodding, though her smile vanished, revealing hardened features. "What happened when you went back to the Empire?" To his utter surprise, Edelgard let out a dark laugh, one filled with bitterness and anger.

"My sisters and I became test subjects." She spat out, making Dimitri's eyes go wide like dinner plates. "Just so I could be given the most powerful Crest." Letting out a shaky breath, she looked at Dimitri, her own eyes blazing with confidence and power. "I went through my own trials, as you clearly went through yours."

Dimitri was silent, unsure what to even say in response to this. Edelgard felt pleased with this turn of events, not saying too much but enough to explain herself to the prince. Even though that hazy look still tugged at the corner of his eyes, Dimitri still had a look of understanding. _That's enough for now. _

"...So the professor was right." Dimitri started, earning a raised eyebrow from Edelgard. "She said that the Flame Emperor tried convincing her she wasn't involved." Clenching his fist, he slammed Edelgard's desk as he got up, leaving a firm imprint within the wooded object. "...I don't know what to say to you anymore."

"The feeling is mutual," Edelgard replied cooly, though she did emit a somber frown. _Why would I expect anyone to understand my plight? _"But what do you intend to do with this information?" She couldn't help but ask, hoping to not have to end her remaining family left.

"Nothing," Dimitri answered, his voice dark and losing all its former warmth. "If you do harm any of my friends or the professor, then I will have your head." He said nothing else, picking up the dagger and stabbing it in the desk where he left the imprint. Leaving her room and harshly slamming the door, Edelgard let out a shaky breath, unsure how to handle things next.


End file.
